Since its introduction in 2009, the TPS280DP throttle position
sensor from Penny + Giles  a business group of Curtiss-Wright
Controls and designer and manufacturer of high precision sensing
technology  has become widely accepted as the sensor of
choice by throttle body manufacturers, motorsports teams and
fast road and track-day enthusiasts.

One manufacturer
 Jenvey Dynamics  has been at the forefront of this
technology having originally approached Penny + Giles to design
and develop a contactless sensor for its own throttle bodies.
These have been adopted at all levels of motorsport  from
kit cars and track day vehicles to World Superbike, S2000 spec
rally cars, World and British touring cars. They are also widely
specified by low volume sportscar and motorcycle manufacturers,
where Jenvey often manages the customers design and development
process.

Explaining the
initial approach to Penny + Giles, Jenveys project engineer
Simon Joyce says: We have been using standard potentiometers
on our throttle bodies for many years but wanted to introduce
a contactless sensor as an option. The biggest problem we encountered
initially was cost, as we were trying to find a Hall effect sensor
that offered sealing to IP69K and used a D-shaft that would fit
our throttle bodies.

From our
attendance at the various autosport shows we knew of Penny +
Giles and their track record in motorsport and, when we asked
if they were interested in developing a sensor for us, their
response was positive. says Simon.

And so the Penny
+ Giles TPS280DP throttle position sensor was born.

With no contacting
sensor parts ensuring zero signal degradation over the lifetime
of the sensor, the TPS280DP has a tested life of more than 60
million operations  more than 18 times the life of an equivalent
potentiometer. When powered with 5Vdc, the TPS280DP also has
an operating temperature range from -40 to +140ºC, with
a stability of less than ±30ppm/ºC.

The TPS280DP
is mechanically interchangeable with most existing throttle potentiometers
using 32mm mounting centres, and is designed to interface with
most common throttle body D type spindles. It is available with
200mm or 500mm cable lengths and can be specified with or without
a MSS4P Mini Sure Seal connector fitted to the DR25 sheathed
spec 55A cable. It can operate from either a 5Vdc regulated or
9-30Vdc unregulated power supply, has over-voltage protection
to 40Vdc and can be supplied programmed with any one of 341 different
angles in the range 0-20 to 0-360 degrees in one degree increments.
It also features a 12 bit resolution (0.025%) over the selected
angular range.

For ease of configuration,
the Penny + Giles TPS280DP throttle position sensor is available
with analog (0.5 to 4.5Vdc) or digital (Pulse Width Modulated)
signal outputs as standard, but can also be factory programmed
to offer 0.1 to 4.9Vdc output range, matching the equivalent
signals from a potentiometer.

In the three
years since it was first introduced to Jenveys customers,
the TPS280DP has proved so successful that it is most often asked
for by name and is being used on everything from bike engines
to road cars, including the Mazda MX5 for an American racecar
series, by Ford for its WRC series cars, several BTCC touring
cars and the Ford DuraTec-based engine for the new limited-edition
Morgan Aero Racing SuperSports car.

Jenveys
throttle bodies, equipped with the Penny + Giles throttle position
sensors, are also being used by Topcats Racing who recently won
the Britcar Class 3 Championship in its Ginetta G55.

Summing up, Simon
says: At a time when our previous pot-based sensor supplier
had moved production to India and was having quality problems
with its products, we found a new UK-based supplier and manufacturer
in Penny + Giles. Its TPS280DP sensors are revolutionary because
they are contactless and have few moving parts, and we and our
customers can fit and forget them, which makes them ideal for
motorsport applications.

About Curtiss-Wright
Controls Integrated Sensing, Penny + Giles
Penny + Giles is a global leader in the design and manufacture
of specialist position sensors, solenoids and control hardware
for industrial and defence markets. Headquartered in Christchurch,
Dorset, United Kingdom, Penny + Giles is part of Curtiss-Wright
Controls Integrated Sensing, a business unit of Curtiss-Wright
Controls, Inc. For more information visit www.pennyandgiles.com.

About Curtiss-Wright
Controls, Inc.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Curtiss-Wright Controls is
the motion control segment of Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE:
CW). With manufacturing facilities around the world, Curtiss-Wright
Controls is a leading technology-based organization providing
niche motion control products, subsystems and services internationally
for the aerospace and defence markets. For more information visit
www.cwcontrols.com. ___________________________________________________